Perfection doesn’t exist, so improvements can always be made. Intelligence can grow, physical abilities can be honed, and skills can be sharpened. This is also true for websites. The online world is one that is ever evolving. Advancements in search engine algorithms and technological progressions like mobile first indexing and voice search programs, are just a few examples of the factors affecting search engine rankings. Because of this fluctuating environment, the companies at the top of the SERP (search engine results page) ladder must compete to keep their position. And to compete, they must improve. First place today isn’t guaranteed tomorrow.
Here are five moves you should make to improve your website:
Get a digital audit
A digital audit is a study of your brand’s digital presence across six key areas: Reach, architecture, content, conversion, integration and measurement. Think of it as a review process that allows you to analyse the key aspects above, and find any problems or inadequacies in your page.
A problem can’t be fixed if it isn’t identified. You wouldn’t go to your doctor and complain that an unknown area on your body hurts. No, you’d be specific. Because more information will result in a quicker, simpler journey to recovery. The same goes for a website. The process is faster and more efficient when you start your site transformation with as much information as possible, and more importantly, it means that everyone involved knows what needs attention and how much work will be required.
Perform some SEO (search engine optimization)
As mentioned above, the ranking of a company’s site on SERPs is an important factor. So important, that people have dedicated their entire careers to focusing on this region of digital marketing, as SEO Managers or SEO Executives for instance. Increased visibility on search engines is linked to an increase in conversion rates, and that, is directly connected to increased revenues.The aspects of SEO include, but are not limited to, configuring your site so that it’s recognizable to search engines, conducting keyword research to ensure that you reach the right type of customers, acquiring backlinks from trustworthy, relevant sites, marketing through social media, and creating relatable, quality content.
Design your site
Designing a site is like interior decorating. You choose colours, accessories, placement – basically the type of company you want to show potential clients. The appropriate web design establishes trust and credibility. Designs that are innovative can even convince visitors to engage and increase pays per click revenue. It’s simple really: If it’s interactive, people will interact. If for no other reason than natural curiosity.
Make your site mobile friendly
Mobile phones are a constant companion. After a certain age, they’re with us more than our friends or families. It makes sense to ensure that your site can be viewed on a device that’s constantly available to a large portion of your market. In 2015, Google announced that it would be using mobile-friendly sites as a ranking signal. This meant that if a website wasn’t mobile friendly, it would decrease in the SERP3. Re-designing your page using a mobile first strategy is a long-term solution to Google’s ranking signal and predicted mobile-first indexing. Companies can also choose to produce an app that’ll provide additional value and extend brand awareness.
Address content
Companies should fill their site with relevant interesting content to keep visitors attracted. Usually, a scheduled stream of articles or blog posts can build a reliable visitor base. But varying that content, from infographics to videos, is what draws in new visitors. Search Engine Land, ‘a publication that covers all aspects of the search marketing industry’4, suggests seven factors to check off your list when thinking about content creation.